Learning Objectives
by Klimmatt
Summary: A new danger has appeared in Japan and Kid Flash may be the only person alive capable of stopping it. And all Wally has to do is figure out how to kill his new teacher.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:** Usual disclaimer's... 'do not own' etc.

So, writer's block has struck me and I've been neglecting my other projects. So I'm hoping to get the creative juices flowing with something new. Probably not my best idea, but let me know what you think.

* * *

To the people of the modern world, superhumans were a fact of life. Rare, perhaps, but undeniable. They were powerful beings, almost godlike in their strength. And they fell into conflict. A _lot_.

And, despite the best efforts of the so-called 'superheroes', it was also a much less happily accepted fact of life that the 'supervillains' would sometimes win the day.

Oh, they never won the world, as they would often wish. In fact, they never seemed to truly reach whatever goals they may have aspired too. The war was one they would always lose so long as the superheroes stood united against them. But, every now and then, they would win a battle.

And destruction would reign.

This destruction was often limited in its scope. They may have stood as gods among the mortal insects, but there was only so much a supervillain could do before someone who could dwarf even their power made it to the scene.

But, the more powerful the villain, the longer it was likely to take for such a being to arrive. Despite Batman's intelligence and skill, it was rarely a match when pitted against the strength to crush mountains in one's bare hands.

And the citizens lived safe in the knowledge that the most powerful superhumans rested on the side of the angels. But, at the back of their mind, they always wondered... what if?

What if some new supervillain came to the scene who was stronger than Superman? What would happen when the shield forged by the strength of the Justice League failed them?

It was something that had been the subject of many a heated debate. But it was also something that few people allowed themselves to truly believe possible.

So, when two-thirds of the moon were vaporized in an instant, the Earth's citizens did not question the story put forth by the world government. That a hostile alien force had attacked, only to be utterly annihilated by the Justice League. Unfortunately not without sacrifices, but such was the price of their survival.

The fact that there was no footage of this battle was knowledge relegated to the conspiracy theorists. The people as a whole did not question what they didn't want to know.

Because if the world's governments were all lying, then that meant that there was something out there that not even Superman could bring to justice. And the thought that such a thing was still out there, unchecked, could well send the world into anarchy.

Wally West was one such individual who had swallowed the truth without question. He knew the League. He trusted them and had fought by the side of the Flash himself for years now. The fact that they had lied to him before was something he happily ignored for weeks after the destruction of the moon.

Until Batman himself summoned him. The Dark Knight and the Flash combined forces for a good twenty minutes, in which time they completely and thoroughly shattered Wally's illusions and destroyed his understanding of the world as he knew it.

* * *

They were in the Batcave. That itself was a rare sign of the severity of the situation. Batman rarely entertained visitors. Even rarer were those he actually invited. The location alone, hidden away beneath Wayne Manor, meant that to be invited one must first be trusted with his very identity.

But what truly put Wally on edge was the fact that he'd been standing here in the Batman's lair a full twenty two seconds already and Dick had yet to appear.

And there was no way he couldn't have known. The Zeta-tubes announced his and Barry's arrival clear to Batman and Robin's personal communicators. Nobody entered their lair without their express permission and knowledge.

The fact that Dick hadn't already come down to greet him meant that he wasn't in the Mansion. Wally would know if he'd been kidnapped and he'd've already been informed if he were gathering intel on their assignment.

That meant that Bruce was keeping him out of the loop.

"Barry. Wally." Batman was seated at the wall-sized monitor. His cowl was down, exposing the face of a billionaire playboy holding an expression of severity that the public eye had never thought possible.

"Bruce." Flash's reply was just as curt. He was pulling his own cowl down and Wally, seeing this, followed suit. This was a meeting of people who trusted one another in a location that was perhaps one of the safest on the planet. There was no need for masks or names. It seemed there were to be no secrets held between these three. "I haven't told him yet."

Wally immediately grew genuinely concerned.

Bruce nodded gravely, standing slowly as he tapped at the keyboard with one hand, quickly calling up an image of the decimated moon.

"Wally," he said slowly. "Two weeks ago, two-thirds of the moon were vaporized."

"Right," Wally nodded uncertainly, put off by the severity of his environment. "By the Apokoliptians. What, are they coming back or something?"

"We wish," Barry sighed, bring a hand to his face to rub at the bridge of his nose. "No, it's something worse."

"We claimed the moon was decimated by the Apokoliptians during a failed invasion attempt," Bruce explained tersely. "As a last ditch effort to destabilise the Earth's climate and destroy life as we know it. We lied." He tapped the keyboard, bringing up a new image. "This is the creature responsible..."

The being on the screen didn't look real. It was as though someone had photoshopped a yellow smiley face on a giant octopus and thrown a robe over it's head. It's head was almost comically large and it's grin inhuman.

"We still don't know what the heck it is," Barry lamented. "It doesn't seem to even have a name. But it's smarter than anything we've ever seen and can fly at Mach 20. It's harder to hurt than Superman and can heal itself almost as fast as it takes damage anyway."

"We're still not certain how," Bruce continued. "But we are certain that it is responsible for the decimation of the moon."

Wally could only stand there, mouth agape, as two of the people he trusted most in the world flat out admitted that they'd lied to him. Lied to the world. And then...

"What happened to it?" He asked suddenly. "Did it escape? Is it loose again?"

Barry and Bruce shared an uneasy look.

"It's in Japan," Barry admitted reluctantly, not meeting his nephew's eyes. "And we never really... had it to begin with."

"No matter our efforts, we were unable to apprehend it when it first appeared," Bruce admitted with even greater reluctance. "Currently, it is free to roam the world at its whims. Despite everything we've tried, no one on Earth has been able to stop it."

" _What_!?"

"It gets worse," Barry sighed. "Whatever it did to the moon, it's claimed that it's gonna do the same thing to the Earth in less than a year now."

"We and the world governments elected not to inform the public so as to prevent unnecessary panic," Bruce explained. "Thus the cover."

"But..." Wally blinked fitfully as he tried to digest this new information. "But what's happening? We can't just let him blow up the world!"

"That is not our intention," Bruce sighed. "But our options at this time are... limited."

"How limited?"

"Look, Wally," Barry interjected. "You have to understand, Superman and the Green Lanterns have thrown literally everything they have at this thing, and he's still standing. We could barely even touch him."

"But there is a silver lining," Bruce revealed. "For whatever reason, the creature has bartered a deal with the world governments. If he is allowed to teach until the time he has chosen to destroy the world, he will allow his students unprecedented access to him. He will allow them the chance to study him and even attempt to kill him without fear of reprisal nor retaliation. He has sworn not to harm any students placed in his care and, so far at least, it seems as though he intends to keep its word."

"'So far'?" Wally gawked. "You're letting him _teach_? Teach _kids_? Are you nuts?!"

Bruce's expression did not change in the slightest.

"It's complicated."

* * *

Bruce and Barry tried to explain the situation to Wally. That the creature had taken the name 'Koro-Sensei', a play on the Japanese word 'Korosenai' meaning 'Unkillable', and had taken over a small classroom of Japanese students. How the students had been tasked with assassinating their new teacher by the end of the year by any means necessary. That a ten billion yen bounty had been placed on his head.

That, so far, 'Koro-Sensei' had only been truly threatened a single time.

"The students in the creature's care are capable," Bruce explained. "Some even show true and frightening potential in the field of assassination, brought to the surface by their desperation. But they will not succeed. The creature holds all the cards."

"The Japanese government is already working to get two new students transferred into his class," Barry added. "They're bringing in the ringers. Real assassins to do the job. An AI combat system and some kind of human weapon that we're still looking into. But the creature is expecting them, or at least something like them. They won't stand a chance."

"Which is why we need you."

"The Japanese government is being about as subtle as a brick with getting their assassins into that classroom," Barry elaborated. "He knows they're coming and he'll know what to expect when they make their move. But he won't expect you."

"If you agree to this mission, we intend to transfer you to Kunugigaoka Junior High School," Bruce told him plainly. "Your grades are more than impressive and will likely see you placed in one of the higher bracket classes. Once there, you will start to fail."

"Language difficulties, stress from the move, attitude problems," Barry listed them off on his fingers. "Whatever you want, really. You'll have free reign to do pretty much whatever. Annoy the staff and the other students."

"Sooner or later, they'll downgrade you to Class 3-E," Bruce confirmed. "And 'Koro-Sensei' won't suspect a thing."

"The thing is, Wally," Barry stated softly. "You and I might be the only two people fast enough to catch him off guard. Now, I can't get close to him. He can see me coming from fifty miles off and just take to the air. But you..."

There was a breath. A moment passed in silence.

"But I can?" Wally finished for his uncle. Under the guise of a student, 'Koro-Sensei' would have to let him get close.

"So..." Wally breathed deeply as this new information settled in his mind. "You want me to kill him?"

"You'll only have one chance," Bruce said simply. "He will underestimate you. Think you're an ordinary, untrained human like his students. Once he knows about your speed, he'll be on guard. We can't contain him and we can't afford to let him live."

"I know it's a lot to ask of you, Wally," Barry placed a hand on his shoulder with care. Wally leaned into the pressure without thought. "But this... this assassination needs to be done."

"The world depends on it," Bruce stated simply. "And you are quite possibly the only man on Earth capable of pulling it off."

Barry nodded, agreeing with Bruce's evaluation.

Wally shuddered. "I guess... I guess I'm going to Japan."

* * *

Class 3-'E for End' of Kunugigaoka Junior High School was known by several different names. None of them pleasant. It was considered by the faculty of school to be the drop off point for the school's excess baggage. A dumping ground for the students who couldn't keep up with the school's expectations. The last chance before expulsion.

It was a place to isolate them, so that their incompetence and slothful ways would not infect the other, better students.

To the students of Class 3-E themselves, however, it had another name. 'Ansatsu Kyoushitsu'. The Assassination Classroom. And it was a name well earned.

The students trained daily in the art of assassination, with their teacher as their intended target. Each failed attempt to kill the creature another lesson to be learned from so that one of them might make a successful assault before the year's end.

The students were ready disciples of these arts. More so even than their more traditional curriculum. But one could not deny the results.

Since undertaking this somewhat unusual curriculum, the class's grades had steadily risen across the board. Perhaps the students were able to apply the lessons learned in their training as assassins to their schooling, or perhaps it was their new teacher's superhuman efforts to see them succeed. It was difficult to say.

Shiota Nagisa considered their growing success to be a strange combination of both.

Their training in assassinations gave them strength of body and clarity of mind, whilst Koro-Sensei continued to push and prod and force them to grow.

It was under this training that Nagisa himself had come to cultivate and hone an uncanny awareness of his surroundings. Initially developed to keep track of Koro-Sensei and his incredible speed and wandering tentacles, it quickly grew to aid him in analyzing human beings and test questions alike for their potential threats and hidden motives.

It was a skill that he had come to rely upon and, with the news of a new student entering their midsts, it was a skill that he was currently putting to use.

Ritsu had already compiled a report on the student upon her various classmates' requests. Everyone wanted to know what kind of new assassin would be joining them, if only to be sure that they could stay out of the line of fire when he inevitably made his first assault.

His name was West Wallace. An American transfer student, his family had moved to Japan due to his father being offered a more prestigious position in the area.

During the initial entrance exams for a mid-semester transfer, West was assigned to Class 3-A. But, within weeks, his grades began to drop due to his difficulty with the local language and behavioral problems began to emerge due to stress. After a month, he had been dropped all the way down to Class 3-D. And now, it seemed, he had crossed the final line and the school was officially washing their hands of him.

He had been demoted to E-Class.

"He's... normal," Nagisa blinked, dumbfounded as he read the report. Many of his classmates shared his feelings. After Ritsu and Itona, well, they were expecting another professional.

"It's actually kind of a let down," Sugino muttered. "I was looking forward to seeing what new weapon the government could pull out to top Itona. West is..."

They'd seen him here and there around the school. Lanky build, red hair, genius IQ and a big mouth. There were some speculations that he and Karma were related.

"Still," Terasaka interjected with a chuckle. "I wonder what a newbie's gonna think about all this."

And that was the spark to quite the conversation. The only 'normal' student to join Class 3-E since Korosensei's arrival was Karma, who had taken to the situation like a fish to water.

How was West likely to take it when he learned that it was now his duty tot try and kill his teacher?

It was Nakamura who first offered an answer. Slamming her palm down on her desk, she hollered. "¥100 says he'll scream the first time he sees Koro-Sensei!"

"No way," Hazama scoffed from the back of the class. "He's from America isn't he? They've got all kinds of superfreaks over there. I bet he doesn't even blink."

"Wait, he's American?" Fuwa perked. "My money says he shoots Koro-Sensei on sight!"

And thus was the beginnings of the greatest betting pool Class 3-E had seen in weeks.

* * *

It had taken two months of preparation, but here Wally stood. Walking the poorly maintained path to E-Class's isolated schoolhouse, he knew that his mission was just beginning, but at the same time nearing its end.

After agreeing to the plan in the first place, it had taken Bruce weeks to square things with his parents. They didn't know about the mission. The League couldn't risk that information somehow getting leaked and making its way to Koro-Sensei, so it was on a strictly need to know basis.

Not even Robin knew. That's how far Bruce was taking it. Hell, Wally wondered if Alfred even knew of his charge's latest plan.

Rudolph and Mary West were out of the loop. As far as they were aware, Rudolph had been offered and accepted a lucrative new position at one of his company's oversea offices. It was a bit of a hassle to move, especially with Wally halfway through a semester... but the opportunity was too good.

They didn't know that Bruce Wayne had, through a number of shell corporations, quietly taken a controlling interest in Rudolph's company and had exerted his influence.

They weren't sure why Wally had insisted on Kunugigaoka Junior High School. The private institution hadn't really seemed to be their son's speed, as it were. But with the money from Rudolph's new position, it was well within their price range. And if their son was so enthusiastic about his studies? Well, then that was just another opportunity to be taken advantage of.

As far as Rudolph and Mary were concerned, their stream of good fortune began to run dry not long after that.

They knew Wally was a genius. They'd seen him in action enough times to know that there was precious little he couldn't do when he put his mind to it. They knew that he'd mastered Japanese and a half a dozen other languages on a whim more than a year ago.

They didn't know why his grades started to drop.

At first they'd thought it was simply the move. He hadn't adjusted quickly to the new environment and his language skills maybe weren't quite as good as they'd thought. But they continued to fall, little by little, until he was barely scraping by with passing grades.

That was when things turned heated in the West household.

They were paying for their genius son to go to a private educational institution, one of the best in the country... and he was wasting it? By what? Fooling around? Ditching classes? They knew that his lifestyle as Kid Flash had always had some impact, but this was far more drastic than it had ever been before.

And it continued. For almost a month. Until the school regretted to inform them that Wally was being dropped to their lowest class and could very well fail to qualify for a higher education if things didn't turn around quick.

They'd already talked to Barry and made it known that he was not to be running about as Kid Flash unless his grades improved or it was an honest-to-God end-of-the-world all-hands-on-deck scale emergency.

Things had been tense. But, Wally knew, it would all clear up soon. Once this 'Koro-Sensei' was dead, the curtains could be pulled back. His parents would understand why he'd done what he'd done and things could get back to normal...

Things with Dick had been tense too. Dick knew Wally, sometimes better than he knew himself. He knew from the moment they met up after Wally's first briefing with Bruce that something was up. He may not have known what, but he knew his best friend was keeping something from him. And that was enough to put a strain on their friendship.

And then, after he'd moved to Japan? After Kid Flash had been grounded?

Wally felt like he hadn't talked to his best friend in months.

He steeled himself as he approached the ramshackle campus that served as Koro-Sensei's classroom. He'd already been briefed by Batman, and the Japanese Ministry of Defense had seen fit to give him another in preparation for his meeting with Koro-Sensei. Which was just as well, he supposed. They didn't know who he really was.

They'd armed him with a knife made from a rubber-like material that was like to the creature teacher as Kryptonite was to Superman. He wore it on his belt, the sheath peeking out from beneath the blue blazer of his uniform.

The pellet gun designed to fire off rounds of the same material was similarly hidden. Both were easily identifiable to the trained eye, and the bulges would be suspicious even to the layman.

He wondered idly how the Ministry of Defense was able to handle this all so calmly. Sending 15 year olds in to kill the monster that was trying to destroy the world.

At least the League had trained him before putting him into a situation like this. He'd already had superspeed and Barry had had him in training for six months before Kid Flash had ever hit the streets.

Even now, while Bruce and his parents had been arranging their move, Wally had spent a month learning how to use a combat knife from Alfred. Why Wally was learning these maneuvers was something the butler had failed to question and how exactly he knew them was something he failed to offer.

He shook his head clear of these distracting thoughts as he came upon the classroom door. He'd need his full focus if he was to survive and succeed in this mission.

Breathing deeply through his nose, Wally forced himself to calm down as he slipped into his game face.

It was time.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note:** Hey, Chapter 2 here. Not much else to say, but let me know what you think.

* * *

There was a charge in the atmosphere of the classroom when the new student stepped in.

Nagisa could see it clearly in the green eyes that were drawn to Koro-Sensei's fluorescent yellow skin and in the tightening lines of his face. He must've been briefed by the Ministry of Defense, as they all had, and had seen pictures before. But now, seeing Koro-Sensei standing before him with that smile on his face... it was a whole new level of fear to be experienced.

West's hand fell immediately to the handle of the knife at his side, resting it there as if drawing comfort from the weapon.

Nagisa wasn't the only one watching West. Everyone watched with baited breath for his reaction.

"So, you must be West-kun," Koro-Sensei smiled as genially as he was able, but that only served to unnerve his newest student further. When Koro-Sensei smiled, he tended to show an awful lot of teeth and that was never a useful component when trying to convey a calming presence. "I, as I'm sure you're aware, am Koro-Sensei. Welcome to Class 3-E. I hope you have a productive year!"

There was the briefest hesitation, before West nodded weakly, looking a little sickly as he breathed. "Sure..."

Maybe it would be Karma who won the pool after all. He'd put money on the new kid fainting.

"Now, why don't you come up here and introduce yourself to the class," Koro-Sensei offered a bulbous yellow tentacle to West, waiting patiently as he smiled. West stared at it, his gaze shifting from Koro-Sensei's face to the proffered limb with fear in his eyes.

But, slowly, he nodded, stepping forward and taking a stand at the center of the blackboard. His back to Koro-Sensei as he looked out at his new classmates.

He flinched when Koro-Sensei's tentacle rested on his shoulder, in what Nagisa was sure was meant to be a comforting gesture. West's instinctively reaching for the knife but again failing to actually do anything.

Maybe Nakamura would win after all? Poor guy was absolutely terrified, but didn't seem to have the resolve to at least make an attempt on Koro-Sensei's life. Which Nagisa supposed he understood. Koro-Sensei's inhuman appearance alone was intimidating enough, but the fact that he stood twice as tall as his students didn't help any.

And the fact that they knew he'd blown up the moon? Well, nobody wanted to attack someone they knew to be so much stronger than themselves.

"Hello..." West's voice wavered. His accent immediately clear and marking him as an American, even if his records hadn't already given him away. "I'm, uh... I'm 'West Wallace', but, uh... feel free to call me 'Wally'. Heh, it's kind of weird always being called by my last name..."

There was a class wide twitch. The unintended insult to the Japanese naming system was taken in stride as a foreign quirk. But still, it was... _odd_ to try and put yourself on a first name basis with an entire classroom of people you didn't even know.

"Well, I'm from America," his hand moved to brush through his short red hair, his eyes darting around the room, shining with uncertainty. "From Kansas, actually."

"Oh? That's interesting," Koro-Sensei leaned over West's shoulder as he interjected. "I've spent quite a bit of time there. That Superman is such a friendly fellow, you know. A little slow though..."

West froze in place as a portion of Koro-Sensei's weight settled onto his shoulder. But then he did what everyone in the class had been waiting for.

He moved. And his audience watched.

His reach for the knife was... inefficient. He wasted precious time and energy by darting for the handle rather than starting the assault with his hand already in position. He'd alerted Koro-Sensei and the entire class to his plans before he'd even reached the blade.

And then his attack... Koro-Sensei at least allowed him to turn and face him head on, but he didn't go for a lunge or a stab. He _slashed_.

Nagisa winced at the execution. Even if it _had_ landed, it would have been a shallow wound. A complete waste against someone with Koro-Sensei's regenerative capabilities.

Of course, he didn't even get _that_ far.

Koro-Sensei backed out of reach rather than stopping the assault cold. He wanted to see West's best efforts. And West obliged, lunging in for the stab that _should_ have been his first strike.

It didn't land. West found himself lifted aloft, his arms held above him by Koro-Sensei's tentacles and the knife falling from his slackened grip.

No one, bar perhaps West himself, was surprised. It was an amateur assassination, no better than any of their first attempts.

It was okay though. He was here to learn, after all.

Still, the demonstration was important not just for West. Not only did he learn that Koro-Sensei would require a far more fantastical assassination plan than 'hack and slash' in order to be done in. But the students also learned a valuable lesson.

They had the chance to see how much they had improved over the past three months.

And perhaps that was Koro-Sensei's intention.

"Sorry, Wally," Koro-Sensei at least had no problems referring to West by his given name. "But I'm afraid that if killing me was that easy, it would've been done long ago. You'll have to do better next time."

Koro-Sensei released him to the ground, before politely pointing out a vacant desk at the back of the class. Shuffling nervously down the aisle, keeping his eyes on Koro-Sensei as he backed his way along, Wally shortly made it to his desk, just behind Okuda.

To his right, Karma smiled as he sat.

"Don't worry, Wally," Karma said the other boy's name with a teasing lilt. "Koro-Sensei's a big softie. Killing him'll be a cinch once we figure out how."

* * *

Once the introductions were cut short and done away with by the failed assassination attempt, Wally was soon subjected to the surreal experience of being taught science by a giant yellow octopus monster.

Well, 'taught' was a strong word. Wally had a working understanding of chemistry and scientific procedure and the grade at which Koro-Sensei was teaching was far below him. He was being _lectured_ on science by a yellow octopus monster.

With Koro-Sensei distracted, Wally's thoughts quickly turned to review. So far, things had gone off without a hitch. Playing the weak little nerd was a specialty of his, honed and mastered back in Keystone City to keep any would-be Hero Hunters from finding Kid Flash's secret I.D.. The arrogant coward aspect of the facade was a relatively recent addition.

Back home, he was the good little nerd who never spoke out of turn. Mostly because he didn't really have any friends. Here in Japan, he'd quickly turned delinquent in order to push his teachers into dropping him like a hot potato. Not scared in the slightest by academic failure or a stern lecture, but put the prospect of physical pain before him and Wally could set his knees knocking with the best of them.

He _needed_ to make sure that Koro-Sensei didn't see him as a threat. Make him let his guard down.

Wally would play the fool for a week or so, maybe try another assassination or two to cement Koro-Sensei's ideas of his physical capabilities. And then, when he let his guard down, he'd strike and put Koro-Sensei's Mach 20 speed to shame.

It was just a matter of time.

* * *

As the first day dragged on and lunch soon arrived, Wally kept a close eye on both his target and his fellow students.

He was starting to believe he'd been severely misinformed about the nature of this mission.

The main campus building was flush with rumors and horror stories about Class 3-E and, even after dismissing half of what he heard as baseless gossip, he'd still come to the conclusion that the students of the End Class were either psychotics, delinquents or idiots. Sometimes even some feral combination of the three.

Just from his seat at the back... Karma was quite possibly psychotic (he enjoyed the thought of assassinating a teacher _way_ too much) and Terasaka was both an idiot and a delinquent. But as far as he could tell, the rest of the students were pretty much normal.

A couple of oddballs here and there, but nothing really out of the ordinary. Other than the fact that the class _had_ to be going through about a dozen bottles of hair-dye a week. No way in hell were some of those colors natural.

And their relationship with Koro-Sensei... When Wally had first heard of the 'Assassination Classroom' he had pictured constant and relentless attempts on the tentacled creature's life. After all, here was the thing that planned to destroy the Earth! And there he was, right in arms' reach... and nobody was taking advantage.

"Well, yeah," Karma had told him with a nod when he asked. "I guess, but, come on... exactly how well did that go for you again? Koro-Sensei _expects_ things to go down in class and he's way too fast for us to do anything other than waste time. And, I don't know if you noticed, but some of these kids need all the help they can get. Interrupting class time isn't exactly a great way to make friends around here."

"Such actions are disruptive to the learning environment, and Koro-Sensei has requested assassination attempts be restricted to personal time whenever possible."

Wally flinched at the sound of 'Ritsu', the automated weapons system that was mounted two seats to his left. Designed quite literally as a killing machine, Koro-Sensei had programmed the bubbly personality of a high school girl into its circuits. The result was a cyber girl with an innocent face that could kill anything and anyone it chose... except for its original target. Although Wally had been assured that 'she' was working on it.

It had taken a single conversation for Wally to decide that she _seriously_ creeped him out and to do his best to carry an EMP generator at all times in case someone ever decided to send the thing after him. Or in case she decided to take over the world. Wally figured there was a better than decent chance of that happening at some point in the future.

But it was as they were discussing such previous attempts that Wally raised the question. "So, other than these weird knives, does he have any weaknesses?"

"A few," Karma shrugged. "Okuda's been trying to work out a couple of poisons that should have an effect on him, but the one you want to talk to is Nagisa. Kid's been taking notes on _everything_ that sets Koro-Sensei off. Keeps a notebook about it."

Wally quickly decided that he and Okuda would need to compare notes in the immediate future, but his first priority would have to be getting a look at that notebook.

"Yeah?" He kept his voice calm. Casual. "Which one's Nagisa?"

"Blue hair. Pigtails." There really wasn't much else needed to narrow it down and Wally's eyes zoned in on the student in question, analyzing carefully from the back of the class.

"Think she'd let me take a peek if I asked nicely?" He asked offhandedly, his eyes never leaving Nagisa's desk, where he could see the pigtailed student hard at work jotting something down in what Wally could only assume was a veritable cornucopia of intel that had not yet made its way to the Ministry of Defense.

Had Wally been looking in Karma's direction, he would have been able to see the malicious gleam appear in his fellow redhead's eye.

"I don't know," Karma replied airily. "She plays it pretty close to the chest. But she _does_ have a thing for redheads- we even used to have a thing- so you might have a shot there if you butter her up first."

"Really?" Wally smirked confidently. He had recently found that combining 'new student' with 'country bumpkin' and 'innocently ignorant foreigner' gave you a lot of leeway when talking to girls. He was reasonably certain he could sweet-talk his way into some intel. "You don't mind?"

"Nah," Karma waved him off. "She was too much of a tomboy for me. Wears trousers instead of skirts, you know? Good luck to you."

Karma was a cruel cruel boy, he thought to himself as he watched Wally eye his friend confidently. Really, it was a wonder why Nagisa put up with him.

* * *

Koro-Sensei kept a close eye on Wally during the sixth period study session. The new transfer student seemed to have struck up an easy dialogue with both Karma and Okuda, which he supposed was a good thing. Wally's transcripts suggested that his grades could surpass even the Chariman's son in most subjects, but he had trouble communicating effectively with his peers and had poor behavior. New friendships in a new classroom could be just the thing he needed to turn himself around.

Although, judging from the light shining behind Okuda's glasses, Koro-Sensei suspected they may have found themselves another assassin with a knack for chemical warfare, in which case he supposed he'd have to keep a close eye out.

Things could well get bumpy in the next few days with the class's latest assassin joining the mix. Oh well. A pity he'd already lost the month's molting to his little confrontation with Itona. Koro-Sensei supposed he'd just have to keep his guard up.

And besides, it would be good for his students to take on the role of teachers regarding their newest classmate. Wally would need their guidance in order to catch up and become a competent assassin.

* * *

When classes ended for the day, Koro-Sensei disappeared without much preamble. Apparently there was a basketball game to be caught in L.A. and not much time to catch it.

The students began the long walk down the mountain together at first, splitting off bit by bit as the faster students outpaced the slower ones or friends chatted and stopped for a break.

Wally spent much of the walk continuing the discussion he had begun with Okuda. He was intrigued by the girl's love for chemistry, having met few people in life who could rival his own. She had already attempted to poison Koro-Sensei with a few different chemical combinations and had kept _detailed_ notes on what the effects had been.

Learning that Koro-Sensei had proved unaffected by Aqua Regia and Hydrogen Flouride was more than a little disheartening.

"What is he even _made_ off?" He exclaimed, after learning that Koro-Sensei had _guzzled_ these acids and commented only on their poor flavor.

"I'm not entirely sure," Okuda admitted shyly. "I've been trying to determine that by working backwards. Seeing how different acids react to him to narrow down his chemical composition... but it's slow going."

"Hmph," Wally muttered. "Maybe we should try Selenium? Or melt down one of the knives to see what's in _that_?"

"I've tried," Okuda informed him disparately. "Whatever it is, it's almost completely inert. As far as I can tell, it only reacts to Koro-Sensei."

"That... narrows it down, I guess?" Wally scratched his head. It wasn't much, but it wasn't nothing. Maybe Nagisa'd have more?

The conversation continued as they walked. But, Wally was disturbed to discover, the topic shifted almost constantly. No matter how often he tried to lead the discussion back to how to kill their homeroom teacher, either Karma or Okuda would find something else to talk about or another student would join them.

Most common segues involved questioning into Wally's past. The usual stuff, really. Life in America, friends and family, hobbies... all things that had been pushed to the wayside for this missions and, as such, were things he emphatically did _not_ wish to talk about at this point in time.

It didn't take the other students long to take the hint- Wally was hardly subtle in shutting down conversation pertaining to himself- and to lead the conversation in other directions. Wally _tried_ to keep the focus on Koro-Sensei with mixed results.

When they _finally_ reached the main campus and began to disperse along their own individual routes home, Wally watched as Nagisa separated from the girl with green hair and made to head south.

As everyone else continued to slowly depart around him, Wally waved Karma and Okuda a goodbye once he was sure they were heading west and followed after the girl with the notebook.

* * *

Nagisa couldn't say for sure what alerted him to the other's presence. If he were pressed, he'd claimed he'd _felt_ the pursuing individual, but that didn't quite explain the particulars of it all. It was a little too instinctual for such base description.

He slowed his pace, turning his head around to peak over his shoulder and achieve visual confirmation of West's approach. Upon this, he stopped and waited for the foreigner to catch up.

"Hey," West greeted with a cheerful grin and jaunty wave as he neared. He was _far_ livelier than he'd appeared in class. But, Nagisa supposed, Koro-Sensei tended to have that effect on new people. And old people. On _all_ people really.

"Hello," Nagisa raised a hand to return the taller boy's greeting, though at a far more subdued pace. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm on my way home," West shrugged, gesturing vaguely in the direction they had both been walking just a moment ago. "My place isn't far from here. Shiota, right?"

"You can call me 'Nagisa', West-kun," the pigtailed boy replied easily. "Everyone does."

"Only if you call me 'Wally'," the redhead grinned back. So far Karma and Koro-Sensei were the only ones to adhere to his request. "Where I come from, hearing 'West' is usually a sign my ass is about to get beat."

"I wouldn't worry about that around here," Nagisa assured him. "You missed it this morning, but Karasuma-Sensei usually teaches self-defense and assassination techniques during P.E.. People don't beat up on E-Class so much anymore."

"Really?" Wally asked as though he hadn't already known that. He'd been careful to dawdle as much as possible after his briefing this morning to ensure that he missed the lesson entirely. Karasuma would be able to tell at a glance if he held back. "I'll have to check that out... P.E. might actually be _fun_ here."

"Hmm," Nagisa nodded, still standing stock still. He was a little unsure of where to go from here.

Fortunately, or unfortunately depending on how you looked at it, Wally had some idea.

"So," he started slowly. "Since you're the one with the ninja assassin training, maybe I should stick with you on the way home? I sort of made a couple of enemies my last day in D-Class that I think might be following me."

"Really?" Nagisa pursed his lips, uncertain. He certainly couldn't detect any other presences, and it was doubtful that someone from D-Class would have the requisite concealment skills.

Even so, he wasn't about to leave a classmate to fear for his life.

"I guess," he allowed, smiling hesitantly back when Wally beamed at him.

"That's mighty kind of you," Wally bowed his head a little with a grin. "Pretty girl like you, taking time out for the new kid. I _really_ appreciate this and did I say something wrong?"

Nagisa's hesitant smile had changed to a frown in the space of a single sentence.

"Karma told you I was a girl, didn't he?" Nagisa's voice was tight and controlled. His frown clear, but tempered. Almost tired, really.

Wally paused, unsure as he awkwardly cocked his head. "Was he... not supposed to?"

Nagisa sighed, his whole body deflating for the briefest of moments before he inhaled deeply, closing his eyes as he calmed himself. It was just Karma playing a stupid joke. He wasn't about to upset himself over something so trivial.

"No, he was not," he said, as plainly as he could. "He was lying to you. I'm a guy."

Wally blinked. "...really?"

With a soft sigh, Nagisa confirmed it. "Really."

"Wow..." Wally took a small step back. "This is... awkward."

There was a pause as both boys stared at each other, neither one really sure of how to proceed.

"I am _so_ sorry," Wally eventually told him.

"It's... fine," Nagisa tried to wave it off. "Really. Karma does this kind of thing a lot."

"Well, then remind me to kick his ass tomorrow," Wally promised.

Nagisa smirked. "I think you'll find killing Koro-Sensei a simpler goal."

"Yeah..." Wally saw his chance and took it. He _needed_ to change the conversation. "Speaking of... Karma mentioned you've been keeping track of his weaknesses... he actually said I'd probably have to date you to get a look at them, but now I'm thinking that was just so I'd play along with his joke..."

Nagisa gave off a quiet snort, "Yeah. That sounds like Karma."

Reaching into his satchel, Nagisa pulled out the notebook Wally had seen him working on in class. Small and unspectacular, one would never guess that it could well hold the secret to saving the world.

"You can have a look if you want though," he offered. "And you won't even have to buy me dinner."

"Really?" Wally's eyebrows shot up in surprise. The value of this thing was almost incalculable and he was just _giving_ it away?

"Sure," Nagisa shrugged. "It's not much, I know, but at least this way you'll be caught up with the rest of us."

Wally flipped the cover, finding that the first few pages were scribbled with doodles and measurements of Koro-Sensei. The actual weaknesses didn't appear until the fourth page and so far took up less than half a page in and of itself.

He scanned them quickly, noting that one of them was an observation Superman had already passed on to him. Koro-Sensei, despite his incredible speed, landed incredibly weak punches. He wasn't anywhere near as solid as he looked and the strength of his attacks reflected that.

A few others were odd... when he tries to act cool, his weaknesses show? He is humble and subservient to his superiors? He can't sleep on a pillow other than his own? Was he reading these right? Did these even count as weaknesses?

And then there were a few others that were a little perplexing. Koro-Sensei is surprisingly quick to panic. He has no patience for wire puzzles.

That... could be very interesting.

And then there was this.

"Koro-Sensei Weakness #4," Wally read aloud. "' _Boobs_ '?"

Nagisa actually blushed, careful to avoid Wally's eye. "He... isn't exactly subtle about his tastes. And he keeps a collection of magazines in his desk."

"But boobs are a weakness, now?" Wally inquired. If they were, then maybe he _did_ have a Kryptonite of his own to worry about.

"Yes," Nagisa agreed firmly. "You should've seen him when he met Bitch-Sensei. He loses all focus."

"Huh," Wally briefly wondered if he could convince Wonder Woman to flash Koro-Sensei 'for the fate of the world'. If he could prove to Batman that it would be effective, maybe dreams _could_ come true...

He frowned.

"Wait, who's a bitch?"


	3. Chapter 3

Irina Jelavic. Batman had briefed him about her when she first signed on as E-Class's 'English Teacher'.

An assassin with fourteen confirmed kills and twice that suspected, she was quite possibly the world's greatest honey trap. She was fluent in a dozen languages, a master of seduction, and sex to the point that she could turn even the most disciplined of men into walking sacks of hormones.

Christened 'Bitch-Sensei' by her students for reasons that became apparent within moments of meeting her, she was a surprisingly engaging teacher., if only for the sheer number of buzzwords she used. As it turned out, teenagers couldn't _not_ pay attention to anyone who used the word 'sex' in every other sentence.

Or, so Wally was told at least. For the past three days, he'd spent her classes napping, thanking the fact that he was already fluent in English and that she didn't care enough to have him try learning something else.

Still, as he slept peacefully, his snoring kept in check by a pen cap stuck between his teeth, Karma watched him with a curious eye.

Bruises covered half his face. He hadn't said who was responsible, only that it was some enemies he'd made in D-Class. Karma wondered what exactly Wally had done to Class 3-D that they would keep after him like this.

It had been five days since the American's arrival and in that time he had made almost a dozen attempts on Koro-Sensei's life. While this wasn't exactly a surprise, given the nature of the classroom, what _was_ shocking was the fact Karma knew well and true that Wally had spoken to just about every single one of his classmates by now, gathering stories and anecdotes about their own attempts.

And yet, despite this, Wally's M.O. had barely shifted in the slightest since his first day.

He had spoken to Okuda in depth about acids and the chemical properties of the Anti-Koro-Sensei materials. He had drawn out tales of hand grenades and kamikaze attacks. Stories of ambushes, firing squads and even toxic Henna paint were all carefully absorbed...

And yet he limited himself to the knife and the handgun. He attacked from behind or the side or even head on at his desk and never for even a nanosecond was anyone in the class concerned that he'd take their bounty away from them. He'd learned nothing.

Karma looked up, away from his neighbour. His eyes briefly scanned the blackboard to be sure Bitch-Sensei hadn't yet said anything of interest, before resting on Nagisa.

Wally had never followed through on his promise to 'kick his ass', as Nagisa had warned him. He _had_ called him a dick, but Karma fully embraced such descriptions.

In any case, Karma suspected that there was no way in hell Wally _could_ 'kick his ass'. His showings at Karasuma-Sensei's lessons for the past few days had been pitiful. The boy made _Takebayashi_ look graceful.

It was kinda pathetic.

* * *

It was _so_ pathetic. This whole mission was driving him in _sane_.

Wally could feel himself starting to crack. It just didn't make any _sense_. _None_ of it made any _sense!_

Lovecraftian abomination threatening the world at large? Perfectly normal. Lovecraftian abomination threatening the world at large and using that as leverage to get a teaching position? A little odd, sure. But Wally had seen stranger things in this world.

But this _school_? This was a place of _education_ and _learning_?

'Kill me now,' Wally silently wished as he braced himself for the punch he knew was coming.

He could've avoided it. A little trick with his speed and he could even make it look like dumb luck. A trip over a convenient rock or a stumble at _just_ the right time. Nobody would ever suspect he was anything more than he appeared... but it was better to save such things for an actual emergency. Just to keep people from getting suspicious.

So he took the hit, rolling with force of the impact to soften the blow.

His attackers were from Class 3-D. He knew them, sort of. He's not sure if he doesn't remember their names or if he never knew them in the first place, but he _does_ know their faces. They were some of the lowest ranked students in D-Class, mere inches away from being sent to E-Class themselves. But they _were_ still D-Class. Still most definitely _not_ E-Class.

It was _weird_ how important that distinction was. It was _weird_ how hung up this school was on grades. Wally had found when he'd first arrived that his teachers were willing to forgive _anything_ he did because his test scores were near perfect.

Disruptive pranks? Forgiven. Laughed at, even. Pick a fight? The _other_ kid got suspended.

It wasn't until he let his grades slip that his teachers began to warn him. Began to tell him off or lecture him. Suddenly the people he was messing with had better grades than him.

It was a joke.

Although, losing all respect for the school _had_ made it easier to give himself over to the role of the delinquent. It took two weeks before Wally was in B-Class. Another week before he was sent to Class 3-C and he was in D-Class within another three days.

And now he was in E-Class. And not just any 'End of the Line' loser like his classmates. No, he was one who'd picked a fight with the kids in A-Class and the kids in D and _everybody_ in between on his way down. And everyone knew that now he couldn't fight back against a 'superior'.

It was simple, really. The only thing the school could threaten him with now was expulsion. Wally couldn't afford an expulsion, and the other students picked up on that hesitance pretty quick now that he was at the bottom of the school's barrel.

So, here he was. Being pummeled by a couple of teenagers he could take with his hands tied.

The first punch knocked him back, but it was the second that sent him to the ground. Wally didn't fight back at that point. He just curled up into a ball and let them kick until they were bored.

They were saying something. 'Stupid'. 'Arrogant'. 'Worthless'. Wally stopped paying attention. The pain was an easy thing to focus on. A perfect distraction.

He'd taken worse beatings before. These were just some punk teenagers after all. Compared to Blockbuster or Amazo these were nothing. Hell, he'd taken worse hits sparring with Robin.

This was for the mission. It would make him look weaker to Koro-Sensei. It would make sure he remained underestimated. So he'd suck it up and let it happen.

* * *

Koro-Sensei was beginning to fret. Wally just wasn't advancing the way he should've been.

Oh, his grades were fine. Or, at least, they wouldn't be a problem for long. Despite his most recent test results, Wally was perfectly capable of answering any question thrown at him, leading Koro-Sensei to believe that his problems lay in a lack of interest. In fact, Koro-Sensei was currently working on a personalized curriculum that would better suit the boy's advanced intellect. Hopefully that would challenge him enough to really engage him.

He was socializing well enough as well. It seemed that he'd made fast friends with Nagisa and was quickly developing a friendly-ish rivalry with Karma. He talked to Okuda about all things chemical. He seemed a little put off by Ritsu, but Koro-Sensei figured that he just needed to get used to the poor girl.

And yet, as Koro-Sensei worked his way around the classroom, his eyes were drawn to the young American. Slumped over at his desk, a mass of bruises covering half his face...

Koro-Sensei felt a familiar desire to annihilate the remainder of Kunugigaoka Junior High School's third year students. With careful breathing, Koro-Sensei delayed that urge.

It was likely pure chance that Wally looked up when he did. Certainly, he wasn't paying attention to Koro-Sensei's lecture on Newtonian physics. But, for the briefest of moments, student and teacher's eyes met...

Koro-Sensei's gaze was cool and challenging, waiting for his student to make a move. But Wally looked down rather than maintain the competition, a soft frown at his lips.

Koro-Sensei withheld the urge to sigh. It seemed as though his newest student was giving up all too quickly. After his repeated failures to kill his teacher and his recent altercations with his former classmates, his pride must've been damaged far greater than Koro-Sensei had assumed.

But perhaps this could be a good thing... Koro-Sensei had scrutinized every detail of Wally's transcripts and had came to a simple conclusion. He could be doing so much _more_ with his intelligence but, by the notes of his past teachers, Wally put in the barest efforts with his schoolwork, rarely participating in class discussions or activities. Never taking the initiative or involving himself with clubs.

He was coasting on his natural intellect, of this Koro-Sensei was certain. Wally had yet to meet an obstacle that could sufficiently challenge him and so had never learned the need to truly work towards his goals. So, now that he had been tasked with the killing of his teacher, the idea that he _couldn't_ must be getting to him.

His thoughts turning to ways he could push his wayward student out of this little funk, Koro-Sensei continued his discussion, still making his rounds of the class. And it was as he began to pass by Karma, only just leaving Wally behind him, that he felt a disturbance in the air.

A grin formed on his lips that only Takehara and Karma could see. It seemed Wally still had a little fight in him after all. Good... his tentacle moved to intercept Wally's knife, his back still turned to him. This would be-

Koro-Sensei's eyes widened when he felt the tip of a knife penetrating his back.

* * *

Wally would never have thought that stabbing someone could be a pleasant experience. And, as he slid the knife into his teacher's back, he knew with conviction that for him it never would be.

It was satisfying though. To have seen Koro-Sensei's tentacle begin to move _far_ too late, the knife already about to hit home where the heart lay. Too far gone to be stopped.

* * *

Twisting reflexively as the weapon continued on its path, Koro-Sensei was able to divert the blade from his heart... _barely_.

Pain screamed through his body as the knife was ripped from his flesh. His attacker was about to finish the job.

Only now Koro-Sensei _knew_. Three tentacles made to intercept this time as Koro-Sensei span around to face his assassin, but two were cut from him before he could turn, the third hastily withdrawn as he bit down on his pain.

And Koro-Sensei _saw_.

Karma exclaimed something in his shock. Other students turned to get a look at the commotion. Koro-Sensei didn't pay them a moment's notice.

Because Wally was standing tall before his desk, his anti-Koro-Sensei knife in his hand, and _lunging_ in to stab him again, his form perfect andmoving faster than Koro-Sensei had thought possible of the boy. Moving faster than Koro-Sensei had thought of _anyone_ this side of the Pacific.

He reared back, lashing all of his tentacles before him to intercept, but Wally proved faster. He severed another two tentacles and ducked around the rest, twisting and turning around the onslaught with more grace than even Hinata, the class's star gymnast, could claim.

And then he was stabbing again, Koro-Sensei's own speed being the only thing that saved him. He moved just enough, sending the knife into his gut rather than his heart.

There was no scream or even a grunt from the pain. Koro-Sensei ignored it as his singular focus for the moment was his survival. Wally was _fast_. Faster than Itona and faster than him, especially now that he was wasting precious energy regenerating four limbs.

The only being he'd seen that was this fast had been... huh. Then that meant Wally was...?

Suspicions and conjecture were banished from his mind. He could think of Wally's true identity when he wasn't being stabbed at.

Koro-Sensei had lost the advantage of his speed... His tentacles served only as a base distraction, but still he lashed all of his remaining limbs forward, wincing each time as another fell to the floor, severed from his body.

But by the time Wally passed through the web Koro-Sensei had weaved, he had taken to the air. Confined as he was by the classroom- it simply wouldn't do for him to leave his students unattended- he could only pin himself to the ceiling. But that still put him out of Wally's reach. Speed didn't matter all that much when you couldn't touch your target.

Not that gravity seemed to pose much of a problem for young Wally, as Koro-Sensei soon discovered.

He saw Wally dissolve into a blur of grey and red, racing to and then _up_ the wall, before kicking off and shooting for his target like a bullet from a gun.

Koro-Sensei had neither the time nor the presence of mind to react and Wally managed to connect a hit, but Wally's strike was mistimed and the knife went wide. The hit turned into a tackle in mid-air as Wally tried to drag Koro-Sensei back down to Earth.

He succeeded, Wally's unexpected weight causing Koro-Sensei to drop, the pair of them crashing down onto Chiba's desk and bouncing from there to the floor, Wally landing hard on top of Koro-Sensei.

Lying dazed and prone on the ground, half of his tentacles severed and regenerating _far_ too slowly for his liking, Koro-Sensei knew he was in real trouble. Wally sat astride him, rearing back his knife for the coup de grâce.

As the knife came down, Koro-Sensei's body shot off with a blast of light.

* * *

Wally flinched back, the burst of light blinding him and followed immediately by a shockwave that threw him back, all as Koro-Sensei's mass disappeared from beneath him. He tumbled to the floor, the knife flying from his grip as he hit the ground, his head slamming into the floorboards and triggering a burst of stars behind his eyes.

There were mumbles and moans from the rest of the class, the sound of crackling glass and splintering wood, but Wally didn't hear them as he twisted and lurched to get his feet back underneath him.

And then he saw. A translucent sphere the size of a baseball sat where Koro-Sensei's body had been. That emoticon of a face, with that smug smile of his, resting within.

Wally reached for the knife that had flown beneath Chiba's desk and lunged forward in the same motion, stabbing down on Koro-Sensei's new form, only for the blade to turn away with nary a scratch.

He tried again and again, but the sphere was too smooth for the knife to gain any purchase and the knife was unable to penetrate, sliding off each and every time.

The thunderous ' _crack_ ' of a gun went off, startling the class and freezing Wally in place, drawing attention to Ritsu, who had a single pistol extended from her chassis and a frown on her pixelated lips.

A single pellet of Anti-Koro-Sensei material rolled away from the sphere.

"Test shot fired," she reported robotically, expressing shock and disappointment despite her cybernetic nature. "Direct hit. Target proves impervious to bullets and blades. He is now completely immune to Anti-Koro-Sensei material."

"No," Wally hissed as he returned to his fruitless assault. "Nononononoo..."

"Koro-Sensei...?" It was Nagisa who was the first to regain themselves. "What is this?"

"This is my Ultimate Defensive Form," Koro-Sensei revealed, smug pride clear in his tone. "Congratulations, Wally. Not even the Justice League was able to force me to use this, my last of last resorts."

The words were genuine. Koro-Sensei was truly impressed. Wally kept stabbing.

He went on to explain the particulars of his ability to the class. That he had condensed and crystalized his body in order to create a truly invincible form.

"What a well done assassination attempt," Koro-Sensei beamed, heaping praise on his stunned student. "Making yourself appear so completely harmless until you could strike... I really had _no_ idea you were hiding such formidable abilities. I'm going to have to keep a close eye on you from now on."

"Shut up and _die_ ," Wally stabbed again, the knife sliding off of Koro-Sensei and bouncing into the floorboards. Wally released his grip and let the knife drop.

"No need to be rude," Koro-Sensei huffed. "But it's no use. Like this, I am completely indestructible for 24 hours. Even if I can't move, there's no way you'll ever defeat me."

There was silence from the students, broken only by Wally breathing. His face was red and he was breathing hard, his shoulders shaking. He'd put his all into that assault and it had come to nothing.

Very slowly, Wally got to his feet. Picking up Koro-Sensei in one hand, he took a single step before leaving him to stand on Okuda's desk.

Taking a single haggard breath as he calmed himself, Wally looked the girl dead in the eyes.

"Okuda," he said simply. Monotonously. "Koro-Sensei is now immune to the knives the government gave us. Whatever he did to himself, it changed his chemical composition. So, everything you've tried on him before, try it again. And then try everything else. He might've made himself vulnerable."

Again, silence had settled in the class. This time it was broken by Koro-Sensei.

"Hey now, there's no need for any of that," he spoke quickly. "I can assure you all that in this form I am _completely_ invulnerable. Absolutely _nothing_ on this planet can harm me at all. Not even a nuclear bomb would leave a scratch!"

"I... I'll try," Okuda promised. Koro-Sensei was ignored.

"Great," Wally nodded, before turning to his next target. "Karma."

The other redhead quirked his brow, inviting the American to continue.

"Go to the Chem Lab in the main campus," he ordered. "Take as many people as you need. Get Okuda anything she asks for. Don't let anyone stop you."

"Wait, wait," Koro-Sensei was starting to look concerned now. "Really now. Class is still in session and you have exams coming up. We really don't have time to be wasting with this pointless-"

"You got it, Wally," Karma nodded, pushing his seat back as he stood with the languid grace that was characteristic of him. "Isogai, Kataoka, Takebayashi... let's go."

"Everyone else," Wally looked around, meeting as many eyes as he could. His voice filled with a determination that they had not thought a part of him. "Koro-Sensei is trapped. He is at our mercy. Hit him. Stab him. Shoot him. Rattle him. _Smash_ him with a _hammer._ Try _everything_ you can think of. And then try it again. Get Karasuma-Sensei. Use _real_ bullets. _Real_ weapons. Show him a dirty magazine. Try and drown him. If you have an idea but don't have the equipment, call me and I will get it for you."

"Wait, hold up," Nakamura halted the proceedings. "What's... West-san. Who... _what_ are you?"

As the eyes again turned to him, Wally gave the question some thought. It's not like telling them would make the situation any _worse_. With information so readily available, Wally was sure half the class already suspected and the rest would know for sure by tomorrow. But, he found, his identity wasn't really all that important.

'Kid Flash' had little to do with what was going on in this classroom anyway. Superheroes don't get sent in for assassinations.

"I'm a student of Class 3-E at Kunugigaoka Junior High School," he stated simply. "And I am trying to assassinate my teacher."

"We have 24 hours," he reminded them. Frowning, he checked his watch and corrected himself. "We have 23 hours, 56 minutes. This might be our best chance. Our _only_ chance. So try anything. Try _everything_."

And without another word, Wally was gone, leaving only a harsh wind in his wake that tugged at the hair and the clothing of all in its path.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** So, as I'm sure a lot of you already guessed, Wally's first 'real' assassination attempt hasn't exactly gone according to plan. Let me know what you think of it all!


	4. Chapter 4

The Thomas and Martha Wayne Foundation was Gotham City's most respected and effective charitable organizations. This was likely due more to the founder's willingness to throw money at it than anything else, but the end result was the same. And any fundraiser for the charity was more than likely to be incredibly well funded and a social must for the calendar.

Bruce Wayne making personal appearances at such events meant that it was due to get more press coverage than the local elections. _Everyone_ loved to see Brucie make a fool of himself.

And besides, the booze was free, the food was good, and Wayne Manor was an incredible venue. If nothing else, it was a good night out.

For Dick Grayson, such events were the bane of his existence. Not a Bane like the Venom addict but a bane of the more mundane sort. When you were only thirteen, the appeal of such parties was exceedingly limited, and the fact that Barbara Gordon had not been able to make an attendance left Dick with little else to do but make himself scarce for both the reporters and those of 'Brucie's _special_ friends' who thought chumming with the brat was a good way to get to the family money.

He expected little else of this night beyond begging Alfred to cover for him and taking the R-Cycle out for a spin.

What he got was a gatecrasher.

Now, gatecrasher's weren't exactly rare at a function such as this. Dozens of attempts were made to break into the party. But Wayne employed only the best in private security forces- an absolute _must_ in a place like Gotham- so what was _truly_ a spectacle was a _successful_ gatecrasher.

Normally, the only ones who could manage it were the elite of Gotham's criminal underbelly.

But in Wally came, running through the door, thankfully having slowed himself to a speed that could maybe within the realm of possibility for an Olympic sprinter rather than a superhuman. Smoke billowing from a number of ragged holes in his clothes, many of which still glowed with the heat of embers.

Dick winced. If Wally hadn't taken the 0.3 seconds he needed to change into his uniform- which was _designed_ to handle the friction one would expect in an object breaking the sound barrier- then things had to be bad. He supposed he should be grateful that the outfit had even survived.

Wally clearly gave no thought to his appearance or the situation when he came sprinting into the room. He zeroed in on Dick like a moth to a flame and came to a dead stop right in front of him.

"Where's Bruce?" No time was wasted on greetings. From the sound of it, he didn't have the breath enough to waste. Regardless, Dick didn't suffer from the same lack of manners.

"Wally, what the hell happened?" He asked, one hand pressing down on Wally's shoulder while the other waved off stunned and appalled guests. Already he was beginning to guide Wally to the exit, to somewhere they could speak freely.

"No time," Wally shook his head tersely. "Need to talk to Bruce. We've got an R.E.M. situation going on, dude. It is the end of the world as we know it and I have _no_ time to explain."

With nothing more than a nod, Dick Grayson turned around and led the nearly teen out of the ballroom and deeper in Wayne Manor. The tabloids were going to have a field day, but that was something to be dealt with at a later date.

* * *

Conversations were rushed, hastened by urgency. Even Dick had the good sense to save his questions for the end, understanding from Wally's behavior that this, whatever it was, took precedence.

But then Bruce had told him to return to the party, to calm the guests and to help Alfred keep the event going. The world may be ending, but the people needed to go on as though the Earth intended to keep on spinning.

Dick tried to argue the point, insisting that he be allowed into the loop, but... the look on Bruce's face... since taking him as his ward Dick could count on one hand the number of times Bruce had ever 'laid down the law', as it were. That look had always accompanied it.

"When this is all over, I want an explanation," he said, not looking back as he stalked out of the room. "A _real_ one, Bruce. And the same goes for you, Wally."

"When this is done," Bruce agreed, watching him leave the Batcave and seal the entrance behind him before turning back to Wally. "Now, what happened?"

And Wally explained. Koro-Sensei had unveiled a new technique that he boasted left him invulnerable for the next 24 hours. So far, all attempts had only proven his claims and frustrated his would be assassins.

Wally also explained that he wanted one of the Green Lanterns to take Koro-Sensei and throw him into the sun. Bruce revealed that the Lanterns of Sector 2814 had been called in to aid in a crisis alert in the Andromeda Galaxy. They'd never get a message to them in time, so unless they were lucky enough for the Lanterns to already be on their returning journey, they were unavailable.

Wally proposed that they have Superman do it. Bruce explained with patience that Kryptonian super speed and Flash super speed were two very different things. Clark would be lucky to even make it halfway there in less than a day.

They were discussing the merits of an active volcano when Wally's communicator, currently linked to his cellphone, buzzed in his pocket.

"Sorry," Wally apologized, answering the device reflexively and listening intently. "Karma's got an idea, but he needs supplies. Get whoever you can to meet us at the school."

Without another word, Wally dashed off. He didn't even think of the fact that he had just given Batman an order. Had he, he would have fainted when Bruce, without a moment's hesitation, moved to comply.

* * *

Hours later, the day's lessons reached an official end with the tones of the school bell, but E-Class remained in their isolated schoolhouse, testing and probing again and again against Koro-Sensei's crystalline form.

So far, just about every student had contacted West for something to aid in their next attempt, and a pile had rapidly formed in the corner when the items proved useless, often breaking on impact with Koro-Sensei, who had taken to singing karaoke in order to amuse himself once it became clear that he wasn't in any _real_ danger.

The pile was quite an impressive thing. Blades ranging from common fire axes to an enchanted sword stolen from the Themyscirian Embassy had been collected, broken and subsequently discarded, along with an exotic range of firearms from around the globe, the crown jewel of which included an rocket-powered grenade launcher.

The grenade had done nothing but create a small crater in the yard, but several of the students were certain that they'd be able to find another use for it sooner or later.

Other items ranged from the mundane to the slightly more unusual. A hammer and chisel of impeccable quality, now blunted completely after Sugawa had attempted to chip away the crystal. A now empty canister that had once been filled with liquid Nitrogen before Kanzaki had proposed they try to freeze Koro-Sensei in an attempt to shatter his crystal shell. Several empty bottles of vodka, after Terasaka had sarcastically suggested they try and get Koro-Sensei drunk via an alcohol bath in the hopes of getting him to let his own guard down.

 _Anything_ the students could think of was there within minutes.

So far, the only things that they'd manage to do was destroy a good portion of the hardwood floor and infuriate Koro-Sensei by raiding his snack caches in their own form of petty vengeance.

Okuda was still at her desk, tireless and determined as she continued mixing chemicals to try and determine Koro-Sensei's crystalline composition, Hara at her side, carefully documenting each new concoction.

Okajima was trying to get Koro-Sensei to do _something_ by showing him his own porn collection. So far all he'd managed to get was some humiliated spluttering while Karma recorded it all for posterity.

Nagisa was scouring the notes of the day, trying to find an idea that hadn't already been tried and failed.

Karasuma-Sensei and Bitch-Sensei had already had their turns. Currently they were off to parts unknown, hopefully calling in reinforcements.

And then West returned, coming to a dead stop at the doorway, hunched over with his hands on his knees as he breathed heavily, his arrival announced only by the harsh gust that followed.

His uniform was in even worse shape than it had been last time, with the ragged tears only growing larger with each appearance. It was a minor miracle that his modesty was still being spared.

"Wally?" Koro-Sensei's questioning voice cut through the harsh sound of Wally's breathing, but Wally only looked up for a moment, before turning to lean against the doorway. Koro-Sensei's frown was visible to Kataoka and Fuwa, who had been trying to wear away at his crystal with a razor wire. "Ladies, I believe Wally is currently suffering the after-effects of constant high-speed travel. If you would be so kind, there is a small stash of chocolates I keep hidden away inside Ritsu's casing that I don't believe anyone has gotten to yet. Would you please offer some to Wally?"

Blinking in surprise, the girls quickly moved to obey, Ritsu kindly opening her own casing with a bashful smile. She had been hiding the chocolates at Koro-Sensei's request, even from her classmates, in the hopes that, when he returned for them, she would have the chance to assassinate him whilst he was distracted by the prospect of candy.

There were a dozen chocolate bars of various brands and flavors. Kataoka picked out two randomly, assuming that would be enough to sate a teenage boy's immediate hunger. Fuwa summarily grabbed the rest and started poking around Ritsu's insides for any more hidden gems, knowing full well that at this point in the manga any protagonist worth the role would eat like his legs were hollow.

Fuwa, in spite of her reasoning, was still undeniably correct. Wally ate the proffered candy so quickly he didn't even realize it was chocolate until he was saw the wrappers he'd let fall to the floor.

"Are you... alright?" Kataoka asked nervously. Wally gave a shaky breath, and smiled weakly.

"You know, Wally," Koro-Sensei attained 'lecture mode' even with his position on the floor. "Malnutrition is a _serious_ issue. _Especially_ for someone with your metabolism. You really need to take better care of yourself if you intend to see me assassinated."

Wally's weak smile evolved into a grin. "It won't be for much longer. The calvary's almost here."

"'Calvary'?" Koro-Sensei almost seemed unnerved as he repeated the word. "You didn't..."

Wally's grin widened, showing a full contingent of teeth that might have been threatening if it weren't for the chocolate stains. "I did. The Justice League are on their way."

* * *

The Justice League were useless. Karma wished he could say he was surprised but, well, if they weren't, then why was the fate of the world resting on a classroom of fifteen year olds being able to successfully murder an octopus monster from outer space? Put like that it sounded like the plot of a bad manga.

Superman was the first to arrive, and while at first many of the students had been enraptured by the icon of 'Truth, Justice and the American Way', that sense of awe quickly gave way to disappointment.

Wally was the only one who spoke to him. Superman didn't speak more than a few words of Japanese and only a few of the students had the English skills to even understand that Wally was taking the time to explain the situation.

At Wally's behest, Superman plucked Koro-Sensei from the ground. For a moment, hope swelled in the classroom and even Koro-Sensei, placed between the Kryptonian's hands, appeared nervous.

Then Superman pushed his palms together, his expression tense and strained as he worked muscles to their limit.

And Koro-Sensei smiled, his fears dissipating in the blink of an eye. Hands that could crush diamonds into dust did nothing.

He said something in English, but Karma wasn't able to catch it. Judging from the general tone and the fact that, well, it was _Koro-Sensei_ , Karma figured it was something incredibly condescending.

Superman's eyes glowed red and beams of focussed heat burst forth. Koro-Sensei muttered something about getting a better air-conditioning unit installed.

Superman frowned. Wally frowned. Karma frowned. Most of the students frowned. The few who didn't merely watched uncertainly, waiting for Superman to try something else. They didn't realize that he'd already used his full strength and was already out of ideas.

In his defense, this kind of thing wasn't usually what Superman was called in for. He was brought in to hit things, and that was something he did very well. But Koro-Sensei just didn't respond to being hit.

Karma hoped that the next Leaguer would have better luck, because E-Class had clearly run that well dry.

* * *

"Well, that was a bust," Wally muttered as Clark regrettably placed Koro-Sensei down on a student's desk. "You realize that you've just lost the respect of an entire class of Japanese students?"

"My heart will never recover," Superman drawled blithely.

"Sorry, Supey," Koro-Sensei's smug tones interjected. "But there's 'invincible' like you, and then there's ' _unkillable_ '. It's _literally_ the name of my game."

Superman raised an questioning eyebrow in Wally's direction, who waved him off. "His name's a pun. Blame the girl with the green hair."

"Who?" Superman frowned when a cursory glance of the room showed no such individual.

Wally, taking his own glance around, shared the Kryptonian's expression. Switching to Japanese as he caught a pigtailed boy's eye. " _Nagisa, where'd Kayano go?_ "

" _She went home_ ," Nagisa informed him dully. " _She said that even if someone_ did _kill Koro-Sensei today, it wasn't going to be her_."

Wally furrowed his brow as he glanced around again, noticing that almost a quarter of the class was absent. Terasaka and his followers were the first to spring to mind, but there were a few others missing as well.

"Not to worry, Wally," Koro-Sensei informed him. "I've taken careful note of those who left before the end of class and I can assure you that their absences _will_ be reflected accordingly. I'll be sure to send notes home to their parents if they keep this up."

Wally grit his teeth at his teacher's words. Turning back to Clark, he asked, "When's J'onn going to get here?"

Sparing the octopus a look, Wally was pleased to see that he wasn't so smug all of a sudden.

But then he noticed that Clark hadn't answered him.

"What?" Wally asked the Kryptonian, his face at first blank as he wondered why Superman wasn't responding, only to grow concerned when he counted a number of potential answers that he wouldn't like. "J'onn _is_ coming, right? He's not on Mars?"

"He's on Earth," Clark shifted awkwardly. "Sort of. He's on the Watchtower."

" _And_?" Wally waited for him to be elaborated. "When's he getting here?"

"I don't believe he _is_ Wally," Koro-Sensei chose to answer on Superman's behalf. "Judging from Mr. Superman's reaction, I'd hazard a guess that _I'll_ be going to the _Martian_ , and not the other way around."

Wally's eyes blazed such that Clark wondered if there was any Kryptonian in the West family history that he should know about. The speedster managed to ground out a single word.

" _What?!_ "

Clark sighed, "I'm sorry, but we want 'Koro-Sensei' somewhere where we can control him if we can't destroy him. I'm taking him to the Watchtower. If we can't find a way to break through his shell, then we're going to try and find a way to imprison him. Or we'll eject him into space before he returns to normal and hope that he can't survive in a vacuum."

"I _can_ , just FYI," Koro-Sensei grinned as Superman picked him up again, his large hand dwarfing his own shrunken form. "It's really a pity you humans can't though. The view of the sun rising over the Earth when you're sitting just outside the exosphere is just _magnificent_."

"It is," Clark concurred with a curt nod. "If you're lucky, I'll make sure you get to see it one last time before we get to the Watchtower."

Without another word, he turned for the door, only to be stopped when a redheaded boy that Clark was pretty sure was _not_ Wally stood in his way, his jaw set and his eyes held firm.

"Wally?" Clark asked, uncertain as a pair of boys, a blond and brunette, took up Not-Wally's sides. One by one, each of the sixteen students remaining in the class moved to stand besides their classmates. "What's going on?"

"Koro-Sensei is _ours_ ," the redheaded ringleader stated firmly, his English heavily accented and his gaze shifting from Superman to Wally, who still stood with the Kryptonian, uncertain of where his allegiance yet lay.

Superman's gaze followed, just in time to see Wally tense and look him straight in the eye.

"He's right," he said simply. "Koro-Sensei is their mission. _E-class's_ mission. They've been working towards this for _months_ , every single day. You can't just swoop in here and take all that away from them."

"Wally, _you're_ the one who called us in," Clark countered him, confused.

"Yeah, but they deserve to _see_ it," Wally gestured violently towards his classmates. "They deserve to take part."

"I'm sorry, Wally," Clark's voice was firm, as unyielding as his strength. "But it's not happening."

And then he was gone. Not immediately, and not without a trace. Compared to Koro-Sensei Superman was noticeably slower, and the students were able to track his movements without much trouble.

Karma even moved to intervene, but where Koro-Sensei would simply flow around, Superman pressed lightly on the boy's shoulder to push him out of the way. Not enough to hurt him, but it lacked the finesse their teacher was prone to show.

Wally could have chased after him. Maybe he couldn't have retrieved Koro-Sensei, but it would have been a nice gesture.

But he didn't. Wally _could_ have chased after Superman. Maybe he could have even ripped Koro-Sensei from Clark's arms and been gone before the Man of Steel was able to mount a chase of his own. But he wouldn't.

Because Wally was still Kid Flash. And Kid Flash wanted more than anything to see the threat Koro-Sensei posed to the world ended. And Kid Flash knew with certainty that right now the Justice League was perhaps the greatest hope the world had.

But Kid Flash also could have chased after Superman, not to retrieve Koro-Sensei, but to hand him the careful notes Nagisa and the others had been keeping all day. Notes on every weakness Koro-Sensei was known to have and every attempt on his life that had ever been made. Notes on every poison, acid or weapon that had been tried and tested and ultimately failed. Every hypothesis pertaining to the chemical composition of his crystalline shell, so many of them either disproved or potentially supported by the labored experimentation that had followed.

Kid Flash could have done this. He could possibly have saved the League hours of work. But he wouldn't.

Because Kid Flash was still Wally. And Wally wanted more than anything else was to see Koro-Sensei dead by the hands of Class 3-E. Because Koro-Sensei was Wally's mission just as much as it was theirs and he'd put too much of himself into this not to see it through to the end.

And he _knew_ that when the Justice League failed today, then it would be E-Class who finished the job.

"Guys," Wally spoke quietly, his voice sullen. He had hoped that today would end Koro-Sensei and his mission and his charade. "Do you think Karasuma-Sensei would mind if I took over P.E. for a day or two?"


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note:** Hello all! New chapter, a little longer than usual, but before we get started on that I wanted to clear something up. I recently received a review that made me realise I'd left a few things a little ambiguous and maybe made the Justice League seem incredibly incompetent when contrasted with Class-E and I just wanted to say that that was not my intention.

I've implied in previous chapters that Koro-Sensei has gone up against the Justice League, both dealing with individual members on a one-on-one basis as well as the team as a whole, but what I only ever made clear was that Koro-Sensei escaped from these altercations unscathed and not how exactly that came about. What I wanted to make clear was that Koro-Sensei is not _beating_ the League so much as he is _evading_ them. Koro-Sensei's speed, invulnerability and healing factor enable him to survive conflict with the League largely by surviving whatever they throw at him and then just leaving. He doesn't do much to them and he makes sure they can't follow him. Theoretically, if he were cornered, the League could beat Koro-Sensei, but they can't contain him and don't know how to kill him and therein lies his advantage.

E-Class then has the advantage because Koro-Sensei willingly nerfed himself by voluntarily tying himself to the classroom. Not only did he swear not to fight back against the students and offered them the chance to study him for a way to kill him, but he also stripped himself of his greatest survival technique: running away. He _refuses_ to leave the classroom during school hours on principle because he is a _teacher_ and teachers don't do that.

If the Flash had done what Wally had done in the last chapter, Koro-Sensei would've been out the window and into the air, but because class was in session, he wouldn't and _couldn't_ leave.

Anyway, I hope I've cleared that up. Let me know what you think of the latest chapter.

* * *

Wally spent the next few hours in something of a daze, wandering and running on and off and without direction as he questioned his current purpose in life. He was a superhero _._ He _saved lives._ He stopped bad guys before they even knew what hit them and he _always_ did his best to see that everyone got out okay.

And yet, Koro-Sensei had been _his_ mission. _He_ had accepted the duty to _kill_ this living, intelligent, absolutely _insane_ being. He had tried to do just that, and he had failed.

The power of hindsight is a marvelous thing, but right now all it was doing was showing him what he should _not_ have done with no thoughts as to what he should do _now._

Obviously, he _should_ have waited. Koro-Sensei's deadline wasn't for another eight months, so it's not like he didn't have the time. He could've sat in that classroom and made sure he knew _all_ of Koro-Sensei's tricks before he went and made his move.

And now he learned that speed was of even greater importance than he'd ever thought. If Koro-Sensei had even the slightest inkling that an attack was coming, apparently he could turn _completely indestructible_ at will.

But he'd been impatient. He'd wanted to get back to his life. He'd wanted to leave Kunugigaoka as soon as humanly possible.

Maybe Wally could force Koro-Sensei to change again when the Lanterns were back in the solar system...? Hal and John could send him into a black hole or something. See if he comes back from _that_.

But Koro-Sensei was going to be wise to the trick. And, as Nagisa had well informed him, Koro-Sensei _never_ fell for the same trick twice.

And, in the meantime, Wally was going to be stuck in that class. Well, actually, the class wasn't really the problem. He was going to be stuck in that _school_. And his parents were still going to think he was a delinquent... no, actually, screw that. Batman would let him let his parents in on the secret and, in exchange, Wally wouldn't throw him under the bus when it came time to explain themselves to Dick.

Wally shuddered at the very thought of that. Dick was _not_ going to be happy at the way he'd left things. Good thing there was an ocean between them right now.

Casting aside such gloomy thoughts, Wally turned his eyes to the heavens above, his gaze catching on the crescent moon hanging in the sky. It was beautiful up there, despite the hole. Not for the first time did Wally wonder exactly how Koro-Sensei had managed to blow it up in the first place.

His thoughts once again returned to Koro-Sensei, Wally found himself wondering what exactly the League was doing to him right now. Had they tried Canary's cry? If she managed to hit the right vibrational frequency, Koro-Sensei could well shatter.

What about Zatara's 'magic'? Maybe J'onn would be able to get inside Koro-Sensei's head? Or Captain Atom... maybe nuking him really was the solution?

Ugh. Knowing Koro-Sensei he'd laugh it all off. Wally didn't much doubt that he'd be back in class tomorrow with a smile on his face. Come to think of it, Wally had yet to really see a smile _not_ on his face... except for today.

Wally could feel his face drawing pensive, which he _hated_. Brooding about the mysteries of the universe was a Batman thing. Flashes were meant to laugh it all off.

But, for a moment there, when Wally had made his move... Koro-Sensei hadn't been smiling.

Wally had seen him laugh off _everything_ E-Class could throw at him in his little indestructible shell. Wally had seen him laugh off just about everything _without_ that as well.

But for a few split seconds when Wally had attacked today, Koro-Sensei had been scared. Scared for his _life_. So that 'Ultimate Defensive Form' of his _wasn't_ a reflex. For a moment there, he _had_ been vulnerable.

If Wally could just catch him off guard again, this time without the surprises and the mistakes and the hesitation, then Koro-Sensei really _could_ be killed.

 _That_ , at least, was a happy thought. Wally's eyes shifted from the moon as he habitually sought out the little speck of white in the sky, a touch brighter than any of the stars, that signaled the Watchtower, only to frown when he realized that the constellations he was looking at most certainly did _not_ match those found in the skies of Japan.

Wally was brought screeching down to Earth as he came to a startling realization.

When the _hell_ did he get to Africa?

* * *

Wally walked to into Kunugigaoka Junior High the following morning with all the enthusiasm of a young child on their way to their very second day of school. That is to say, he was sullen, moody and depressed, with the large majority of his hope and optimism having been soundly beaten from him the previous day.

Since Clark had bailed on him, taking Koro-Sensei off to the Watchtower, Wally had not heard word from any of the Justice League. Dick had buzzed him five times now in search of answers, but Wally wasn't going to risk telling him anything without the Bat's approval, which only served to worsen his mood.

This did have one advantage, however. As he entered the school grounds, Wally drew the attention, as he often had in the past several days, of some of his former classmates from D-Class.

These classmates took one look at Wally this morning and, in a surprising fit of self-awareness, had wisely decided _not_ to engage him on this day. However subconsciously, a portion of their minds recognized the look of someone in a mood so foul that they were beyond caring of the consequences, for truly _nothing_ could make them feel any worse.

It was a dangerous and unpredictable state, and the D-Class students were wise to recognize and avoid it.

The same could _not_ be said for the students of C-Class. They were at a perfectly imperfect point of the hierarchy, just arrogant enough to believe that a student of E-Class would never _really_ try anything against them, but insecure enough of their positions that they still felt the need to prove it.

Wally noticed a trio of individuals blocking his path and looked up, finding three boys with relaxed features and found himself halting, his frown only deepening.

* * *

When Wally arrived at the dilapidated schoolhouse, he was smiling.

Then he came face to face with Karasuma, a single eyebrow arched dangerously.

Wally met his eyes, doing his darndest not to look away.

"So, tell me honestly," he broke the silence. "When did you have me marked as an assassin?"

" _Everyone_ in this class is an assassin from the moment they enter, Mr. West," Karasuma replied blithely. "But, if you are referring to your abilities, I was aware you were limiting yourself in P.E.. I trust that that will no longer be the case?"

"No sir," Wally nodded. "Actually, if you don't mind, do you think I could say something to the class before we get started this morning?"

"Well that depends," Karasuma eyed him curiously. "What exactly did you have in mind?"

Karasuma watched the boy smile broadly.

"Myself, of course. What else?"

* * *

The students of E-Class weren't particularly surprised when Koro-Sensei didn't show up for school. According to Nagisa's watch, his 'Ultimate Defensive Form' wouldn't revert for another three hours. They _were_ a little surprised when Karasuma-Sensei gave Wally the floor.

Standing before the class, many of them noted the difference in the way that he carried himself when compared to how he had first appeared to them. Where before he had stood before them nervous and uncertain, hiding behind a veil of arrogance, he had since dropped the façade and was now confident and self-assured. The act no longer required now that his assassination had failed.

He stood before them no longer hiding his abilities or himself. They were now aware that, perhaps barring Ritsu, he was likely the most dangerous of their classmates. And he knew that they knew. It was a strange feeling.

And it made more of a difference than you might think.

"So," West said, clapping his hands together in lieu of a proper greeting. He stood at the center of the blackboard, almost exactly where he had been when he made his first lackluster attempt on Koro-Sensei's life. "I'm guessing you've all figured it out by now but, for the record... I am Kid Flash."

The confession that could've made papers the world over was met with blank stares.

"Get to the point, idiot," Terasaka told him bluntly.

"I know what you're thinking," Wally offered. "And I'll answer all of your questions. Firstly; yes. Wally _is_ my real name. When I was assigned to infiltrate the class, we knew that a Koro-Sensei would pick apart any false identity in minutes. Second; also yes. I _am_ faster than Koro-Sensei. Third... actually that was all I had. What else do you want to know?"

The stares continued. Waly squirmed, uncomfortable under the combined gaze of 25 odd teenagers. He'd never been great with crowds.

"Have the Justice League had killed Koro-Sensei yet?" Yada was the first to break the silence.

"I haven't heard a thing from them since Superman took off," Wally admitted. "So I doubt it."

Nagisa raised his hand. "Will they let us see the notes from their attempts?"

Wally blinked dumbly. "Probably not. The League likes to keep that kind of stuff under wraps, but I'll see if I can't get someone to hack their security feed for us."

Nagisa nodded, satisfied by the promise of further data.

Fuwa leaned forward, her eyes shining intently. "Does this mean your dad's the Flash?"

"No," Wally told her bluntly, before addressing the class as a whole. "And, while we're on that subject... _no_. Don't ask me _anything_ about who the League really are. I won't tell you anything, and if I do, it _will_ be a lie. Moving on."

"Are Superman and Wonder Woman dating?" Nakamura asked.

" _Moving on_ ," Wally insisted. Nakamura grinned.

"What about Superman and Batman?"

" _I said moving on!_ "

"Now," Wally did his best to follow his own advice. "We've got a chance to talk without Koro-Sensei popping in on us and I wanted to show you that Koro-Sensei is more vulnerable than he lets on."

"Nagisa," he pointed out the boy in question. "Could you please read off Koro-Sensei weaknesses numbers 2 and 7?"

The pigtailed boy furrowed his brow in confusion, but dutifully recited the items in question."Koro-Sensei is surprisingly quick to panic and has no patience for wire puzzles. What of it?"

"A little known fact about speedsters is that we see time differently than most people," Wally explained patiently. Blurring into motion, Wally's form was a vague haze that settled almost immediately and the students in the front row were startled to discover origami effigies of what was likely to be their teacher upon each of their desks. Tapping at his watch, Wally explained, "According to this, that took about five seconds. But to _me_ it felt like five _minutes_."

"Patience is something we're good at because we've always got more time than we know what to do with. But it's also something we need to _learn_ ," he insisted, bringing the discussion back to his point. "And if Koro-Sensei hasn't learned it yet then I think he might be a lot newer to his abilities than we thought."

* * *

It had never been much of a secret that Koro-Sensei had once been human. He had made clear from the beginning that he was not an alien and understood human culture far too well to have been raised in isolation, so the only question remained was when he had gained the inhuman qualities that he had become so proud of.

Many of the students had made the assumption that Koro-Sensei had been living with his form for the majority of his life, if only due to the casual ease with which he disregarded humanity and appeared to hold such mastery over his own biology. But if what Wally said was true, then Koro-Sensei as they knew him may have emerged only in the weeks before the decimation of the Moon.

Which to Wally meant exactly two things. The first was that Koro-Sensei may still have tricks up his sleeves that even he wasn't fully aware of. The second was that the same was also true of any potential weaknesses.

* * *

Much of the morning was spent with the students of E-Class furthering their own pursuits. Karasuma-Sensei considered it a reward for their efforts the previous day and a time of personal reflection. Bitch-Sensei simply couldn't be bothered taking the class.

For the more studious amongst them, this involved preparation for upcoming midterms. For the more determined, it meant plotting new ways to kill Koro-Sensei. And for the majority of them, it meant talking freely with amongst themselves about both these subjects and many others.

All of these ceased the moment Koro-Sensei arrived. He was a little later than expected, and his robes were a touch scorched, but overall he seemed no worse for wear and, judging from the smile on his face, he was feeling just peachy.

At least fifteen hours taking everything the full might of the Justice League could throw at him and he was just _peachy_.

An odd noise filled the classroom, caused by the collective grinding of the entire class's teeth.

"Well, _I'm_ happy to be here," Koro-Sensei muttered snootily, turning his nose up to the class (metaphorically of course). An array of tentacles unveiled themselves from his robes, each carrying a stack of papers. "And _you'll_ be happy to know that I fully intend to see you all make up for the time we lost yesterday. So, if you could all just pass these around- each quiz has been personalized and marked with your name."

Grudgingly, the students did just that, sorting through the pile before them for their own booklet before passing it on. Koro-Sensei was their target and they'd just spent a full day unified in their attempts to kill him... but he _was_ still their teacher. And class was in session.

The papers were slowly distributed and, personalized as they were, most of the students found themselves with a small quiz that ranged in length between 3 to 8 pages depending on their current level, each varied in subject matter and difficulty.

Only Karma and Wally broke the pattern. Karma having a full 12 pages worth of questions sitting before him and Wally having absolutely nothing.

Looking around awkwardly, idly wondering if his test was simply hiding in Karma's booklet, he began to raise his hand, only to jump when Koro-Sensei appeared at his desk, slamming an object on to his desk with a heavy ' _thump'_.

Wally stared slack-jawed at the book placed beside him. A4 sized paper, the book was as thick as a dictionary. His name was written at the top of the first page.

Wally shifted his gaze up to Koro-Sensei's smiling face, a little bit of fear shining through in his eyes.

"I know it seems like a lot, Wally," the teacher grinned. "But after seeing what you've been holding back yesterday, I think it's time we really started giving you a _challenge_ , don't you agree?"

Wally's eyes narrowed. It was something of a flaw in the heroic line of the Flash that all speedsters seemed to share an innate inability to back down from a challenge.

He set his jaw. He picked up his pen.

Addressing the class, Koro-Sensei declared it time to begin. "You have thirty minutes."

* * *

For the first two minutes the students made a genuine go at the quizzes placed before them. No matter Koro-Sensei's eccentricities, they had learned to trust him as a teacher and were certain that the tests had been designed to help them with only a slight percentage (maybe 12% at most) of their existence being due to petty vengeance for the previous day.

So they knuckled down and started to work through the first questions. Some, like Okuda, attacking at speed brought about by panic, their own pace working against them as they missed vital information when reading the questions, resulting in answers that were, though technically accurate, were also hopelessly incomplete.

Others, like Terasaka, read at a far more relaxed pace (due largely to not caring whether or not they succeeded). Taking their time, they were able to determine the full measure of the questions, but, lacking the motivation or the drive, their answers were broad and lacked specificity.

Most students had moved on to their third question, with only a few still stuck on their second, when their keen senses began to note an anomaly in the air. That being, the sharp scent of smoke.

In a wave radiating from the back of the class, students began to turn to seek out the source the moment they detected the acrid aroma.

The source was Wally, a thin trail of smoke rising slowly from the yellow blur that was his #2 pencil. He was already a good quarter of the way through his stack and showed no signs of slowing down.

Almost as one, the students glanced from Wally to Koro-Sensei, in order to see what their teacher was making of this.

Judging from the frown, he wasn't too sure either.

With a collective shrug, the students turned back to their papers. Wally's display was interesting and all, but it wasn't going to help their grades any.

* * *

Five minutes left on the quiz and the students were back to staring. Their papers lay on their desks, unfinished and forgotten as the display took up their collective attention.

Wally knew they were staring, but that was okay. They may not have been his intended audience, but this was still a show, after all.

This was a message. For Koro-Sensei.

His pencil raced across paper, filling out bubbles and writing out answers wherever needed. Whenever he reached the end of a page, it was ripped away from him, only to be replaced by another. This one with questions more difficult than the last.

He'd finished his quiz early, you see. Koro-Sensei couldn't stand for that. Couldn't admit that he'd underestimated his student's abilities. So he'd given Wally more. And Wally finished that too.

And so it had become a race, of sorts. Koro-Sensei crafted questions, trying to do so faster than Wally could answer them. He'd had a bit of a head start, but Wally was gaining fast.

Wally was making a statement, now that he couldn't hide it. He could move faster than Koro-Sensei, that was a known fact, but now he was proving that he could _think_ faster too. He'd give the octopus a reason to be scared. He'd show him how fast he _really_ was.

And as the clock finally ticked over, with Wally having finished his final sheet before Koro-Sensei could replace it, he truly did.

* * *

For many of the students, the remainder of the day passed without major incident. Already having given up on the school day for regularly scheduled classes, Koro-Sensei declared the remaining class-time as an intensive study session, creating and maintaining his speed duplicates in order to give each and every student the attention they required for their personal tuition.

Of course, not everyone gave their full attention. Despite the insanity of the past day, there were still looming threats to steal focus.

Sugino, for example, was idly wondering if the class's recent training in assassination could possibly help them make a decent showing at the school's annual inter-class baseball tournament.

Nagisa's thoughts had turned to considering Wally's speed. He considered the possibility of E-Class training against him, using him as a testing ground for new assassination techniques. With his speed and intelligence, he might be the perfect stand-in for Koro-Sensei.

But, for the most part at least, focus was returned to the upcoming midterms, and the class passed with at least _some_ degree of productivity.

And when the final bell for the day rang clear, the students didn't really give it much thought that Wally was asked to remain behind.

They filed out, beginning their trek back to the main campus just so they could head home. Wally, meanwhile, made his way to Koro-Sensei's desk.

He moved, deliberately slow, his eyes glued to Koro-Sensei as he tried to gauge some kind of reaction. He _knew_ Koro-Sensei was impatient, but the exact extent had yet to be determined.

Koro-Sensei did not offer any answer. He merely sat at his desk, a pair of tentacles folded before him as the rest were stashed away under the desk, giving him at least the basic outline of an ordinary man should one ignore the sheer size of his head.

"Take a seat," he gestured softly at the empty space before him. Wally grabbed Isogai's and shuffled it into place, lowering himself into the chair without much thought. Across the desk, Koro-Sensei leaned in intently.

"You are a very interesting young man, West Wallace," he spoke simply and without malice. His tone no different than if he were stating any other fact. "And I have to wonder... why exactly are you here?"

Wally arched an eyebrow. "I kinda thought that was pretty clear by this point?"

"Well, yes, to kill me, _obviously_ ," Koro-Sensei nodded, dismissing the thought with an offhanded gesture. "That's why you're in Japan. But what I _mean_ is, why are you still in high school to begin with?"

" _Clearly_ you're intelligent enough to do away with the whole institution," he continued, not giving Wally the chance to do no more than smirk softly. "You're smarter than I thought, actually. Judging from your records, I knew you were bright. But I had assumed that was merely for your year level. But it's far more than that, isn't it?"

"You really are a genius, aren't you?" Koro-Sensei smiled. "I wonder, how much of that is your natural abilities, and how much is being enhanced by your unique perception?"

"First one, then the other," Wally shrugged, but his face spoke not of indifference. He was proud. Smug. It wasn't often he was really praised for his intellect and it felt good to get some recognition. "I figured out how to give myself superpowers when I was thirteen. What'd you expect?"

"I expected that I would teach all of my students the sanctioned curriculum, but it's clear that that would be a waste of time for you, wouldn't it?" Koro-Sensei mused. "Well, except for Literature, that is. Your essay skills clearly haven't received the same attention as your other subjects."

Wally shrugged. Literature was the one subject where his phenomenal recall did little to aid him and his interest waned. He could quote Shakespeare word for word should the need arise, but analyzing it was an entirely different beast.

"So what I'm curious about is, why haven't you already graduated?" Koro-Sensei asked him straight. "You could be well on your way to a doctorate right now- probably several, actually- but here you are sitting through lectures that must bore you to tears."

Wally shifted his gaze, suddenly uncomfortable with the line of questioning, but still unquestionably defiant. "You're not getting rid of me that easily. I can tank any test you give me to try and get me to graduate early. And besides, my parents wanted me to do school the normal way. Something about 'making friends' and 'socializing' and stuff."

"Which went wonderfully, I'm sure," Koro-Sensei's response was dry and humorless. Judging from the reports, Wally hadn't had a single friend back at Central City High. "Wally, I have no intention of having you graduate out of my class. Well, at least not before the school year is over. No, I think, however counterintuitive it may be to my own survival, this class may be the perfect place for you."

"Here, in this class of assassins, where everyone already knows the truth about your dual life, your speed and your intellect... you might actually manage to make some friends."

* * *

For a moment, silence reigned. Koro-Sensei waited patiently, and perhaps a little smugly, for Wally to process and properly react to his statement.

Wally, for his part, tried to figure out whether Koro-Sensei was genuinely concerned for his social development or if he was just taking an easy shot at him.

"I have friends," he stated bluntly, deciding that he was just being insulted.

" _Kid Flash_ has friends," Koro-Sensei corrected, pulling a photograph from his desk and showing it to him. It was a shot taken from a camera-phone of himself, Robin, Kaldur and Superboy after the breakout from Cadmus Labs. Nothing on any of his more recent teammates. They'd since gotten a lot better at stealth. "Rather interesting ones, too. Is Superboy really the child of Wonder Woman and Superman's? He seems a bit old..."

"Hybrid clone made from Kryptonian and Human DNA," Wally replied without thought. "And Wonder Woman digs _Batman_."

"What? How does _that_ make sense?" Koro-Sensei frowned. The Superboy tidbit was interesting and the blogs would have to be informed, but the Justice League shippers were _not_ going to be happy with the second revelation. " _Clearly_ she belongs with Superman! Batman's human! He'd... _break_."

Wally cringed at what his teacher was implying, willing for just that moment to trade away everything he had just to get that image out of his head. " _Never_ say _anything_ like that _ever again_!"

"Or what?" Koro-Sensei gave a sardonic smile. "You'll kill me?"

"Don't tempt me."

"Heaven forbid," Koro-Sensei waved him off. "But, back to the matter at hand... I won't be recommending you leave my class, Wally. I may not have much to offer you academically, but I can think of no better place for you to continue your social development."

"My 'social development' is just fine," Wally snapped. "I _have_ friends! I made friends in this class before they even knew who I was!"

"Yes, and let's look at those, shall we?" Koro-Sensei replied coolly, before listing them off on his tentacles. "Okuda, Nagisa and Karma. All of whom possessed knowledge or skills that you knew you could use against me. You didn't make _friends_. You made _allies._ Since you arrived in this class you haven't done a single thing with _anyone_ here outside of school hours."

"You _ingratiated_ yourself with those you knew might be useful," he concluded. "And whilst it was an intelligent tactic as far as your assassination went, such subterfuge is no longer necessary. You only have about eight months left, Wally. Live a little."

"I _will_ kill you," Wally told him.

"I sincerely anticipate seeing you try," Koro-Sensei responded. "But now that I know your tricks, you'll have to be a lot more creative. And you'll need _friends_ by your side, not just allies."


End file.
